Health Officials Addressing Concerns Over Flu Shot, COVID Shot

Lots of people these days are asking what they feel is a completely legitimate question, "Is it safe to get the COVID vaccine and get my flu shot?" The quick answer is: Yes. ABSOLUTELY...According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

WWLP/News 22 Springfield is reporting that, according to the CDC, it’s safe for other vaccines to be administered at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine.

This new guidance is a definite change from previous CDC recommendations which said that other vaccinations should not be administered within a 2-week window before or after the COVID-19 vaccine.

With colder weather on the horizon, many people are starting to think about the flu shot in addition to COVID vaccinations. But there are also many who are wondering, after last year's very mild flu season, if getting a flu shot is even essential.

Health officials caution that substantial flu activity happening at the same time as COVID-19 activity could seriously overwhelm our health care systems.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year, anywhere between 12,000 to 61,000 people die due to the flu. Last year, however, the combination of social distancing and wearing masks prevented the majority of cases.

In summation, you can get your flu shot at the same time you get your COVID vaccination or vice versa. The CDC recommends getting the flu vaccine by the end of October and to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can.

For more information, check out WWLP's website here.